The Best Motorcycle Tool Kits For DIY Home & Roadside Wrenching

Though motorcycles serve as a means from getting from A-to-B just like any other mode of transportation, we tend to have a much more personal, sentimental relationship with our two-wheelers than we do the other rides in our garage. As such, a great many motorcyclists gravitate towards doing their own maintenance and wrenching on their bikes. Furthermore, unlike cars with spatially-restrictive engine bays, motorcycles afford easy access to the lion’s share of their systems and components, making them incredibly conducive to DIY upkeep and labor.

Affording the ability to get up and running again should you breakdown on the side of the road, tool kits can be literal life-savers. Though, with extremely-limited storage space on the majority of most production motorcycle models, it can be tricky picking out a tool kit that’s both robust enough to sort out most common mechanical gremlins, and compact enough to lend itself to motorcycle travel. With this in mind, we’ve generated this handy list of the best motorcycle tool kits currently on the market in which we’ll be delving into our picks for the latest and greatest options available, along with what to look for when shopping and tips on how to piece together your own mobile moto tool kit from scratch.

No matter your bike, budget, or experience wrenching, there are a few common elements to keep an eye out for when shopping for a moto tool kit. Below, we’ll touch on some of the more important elements to take into account when in the market for tools.

Overall Quality: For the uninitiated, reading about toolset specs and descriptions can feel like trying to decipher a foreign language, though even the most novice of wrenches can get a basic understanding of a kit’s quality by asking some of the following questions. What material(s) and construction technique(s) were used to manufacture them? Are the tool’s moving components sealed and/or guided by ball-bearings? Does the manufacturer stand behind the tools with any kind of warranty?

Functionality: Another enormously important aspect to take into consideration when shopping for a tool kit is the overall function and utility offered by each respective kit. This means thoroughly checking into a given kit’s number of included tools and said tools’ number of functions.

Overall Value: This area is more or less determined by coupling a kit’s function and utility with its price and quality. And there is a wide range of value and quality when it comes to toolsets, with some offering much better bang for your buck than others. For more precise instruments or diagnostic equipment, we don’t recommend trying to take the budget route, though, for basic hand-tools and the like, there’s nothing wrong with going with a more affordable set.

Brand: While most wrenches and tools probably look very similar to the outside observer, anyone that’s spent their fair share of time spinning a spanner is likely abundantly aware of the immense difference in quality between a tool from Snap-On and a tool from Harbor Freight. Purchasing a kit from a more reputable brand does admittedly come at a significant financial premium, though the investment really does pay for itself over time, as the more high-end tools on the market really are built to last a lifetime. If you’re unfamiliar with this product space, it’s well worth your time to read up on some of the more popular brands to get a better sense of where they stand in the industry.

There are various benefits and drawbacks of buying a preassembled tool kit versus purchasing a tool roll that you custom-load with wrenches, drivers, and other hand tools. Below, we’ll briefly explore some of the main pros and cons of both categories. 

Preassembled Moto Tool Kits: Having spent decades manufacturing the actual tools themselves, tool manufacturers tend to have a pretty top-notch understanding of what items to bundle together to yield the best, most robust, yet compact kits. These not only include a curated selection of hand tools for performing basic tasks, but are also sold with a convenient case for easy two-wheeled travel. So, whether you require SAE or metric items, the below list of pre-assembled tool kits will almost certainly include a kit that jives with your needs.

Motorcycle Tool Rolls: Chances are that nobody knows your bike and its faults better than you. As a result, you can piece together a custom moto tool kit to specifically address the exact problems that your bike is most prone to suffering from suffers from. Each of the tool rolls below provides a stellar means of accommodating a hand-picked selection of tools for your two-wheeled travels.

Mechanics tools are sold in two basic varieties; standard (also known as “SAE,” short for “Society of Automotive Engineers”) and metric. Standard tools are measured in sizes using fractions of inches as where metric tools are measured in millimeters. Unsurprisingly, most motorcycles manufactured in the United States are compatible with SAE tools as where most bikes made in Japan, Europe, or anywhere else outside the US typically employ metric sizing. Some bolts can be adjusted using both metric and SAE sockets, though the fit won’t be exact and one runs the risk of stripping a bolt. You’ll want to figure out which style your bike uses before making your purchase.

On top of knowing whether your bike uses SAE or metric tools, it’s also wise to look into the exact tools needed for performing basic maintenance tasks on your exact make and model. As an example, my 2007 Suzuki GSX-R600 requires a torque wrench for performing oil changes. Because of this, I know to either include one of these in my kit or just be privy to the fact I’ll need one for specific jobs.

Regardless of what type of bike you ride, its age, make, model, or what kind of tools it’s compatible with, there are a few general tricks that can benefit just about every rider. Just like with the actual tool kits themselves, these items enormously increase your ability to remedy most basic maintenance jobs and roadside repairs and should be carried alongside your main tool kit if possible.

This includes products like J.B. Weld, zip-ties, and duct tape. Being armed with a comprehensive manual from Clymer or Haynes is also highly recommended by most seasoned riders, as it clearly conveys how to perform just about any basic roadside maintenance job you could imagine. Lastly, even if you consider yourself to be a generally handy person, wed’ still urge you to get aquatinted with your tools in the comfort and safety of your driveway or garage. 

Velomacchi Speedway Tool Roll

Best Travel Tool Roll: Velomacchi’s Speedway Tool Roll is a top-shelf item through and through, boasting a thoroughly reinforced ballistic nylon shell with a quilted front panel, a TPU laminated handle, YKK zippers throughout, and adjustable aluminum webbing straps and aluminum hook closures for closing the roll or securing it to your bike. An embedded magnet also anchors loose nuts, bolts, or other hardware while working, preventing it from “wandering off.”

Motion Pro MP Tool Metric

Best Off-Road Kit: Hardcore off-road riding opens your bike up to markedly more opportunities for impacts and abuse, which is why it’s so crucial to keep a bike multi-tool handy for basic repairs such as this fairly universal metric kit from Motion Pro. Including some of the most common socket, hex, and Allen sizes (plus #2 and #2 Phillips), the kit’s tools are treated to a hard-nickel-pewter finish and come sold with an included carrying case. In addition to lending itself to use wrenching on dual-sports and dirt bikes, this kit is also a great choice for working on quads and UTVs. 

CruzTools DMX2 Fender Mount Metric Tool Kit

Best Metric Kit: Dubbed the CruzTools DMX2 Fender Mount Metric Tool Kit, this robust little kit is comprised of several combination wrenches, a sliding t-driver, 8mm, 10mm, 12mm, and 13mm sockets, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm hex bits, a four-in-one screwdriver, spark plug tools, locking pliers, as well as some other items for Magiviering repair jobs such as electrical tape, cable ties, and mechanics wire. Including space-saving items such as a six-in-one tool, this entire kit comes in an incredibly compact camouflage nylon carrying case that’s designed to be mounted to a motorcycle’s front fender.  

RSD X Kriega ROAM Tool Roll

Best Off-Road Tool Roll: Born out of a collaboration between Roland Sands Design and Kriega, the RSD X Kriega ROAM Tool Roll is a top-shelf take on the segment that’s crafted from an ultra-rugged amalgamation of 1,000-denier ballistic-grade CORDURA, Hypalon, and Roland Sand Design’s signature waxed cotton. Backed by a ten-year warranty, this item sports Magic Catcher magnetic buckles that open, allowing the roll to reveal four individual one-liter tool pockets. 

H-D Snap-On Tool Kit

Best SAE Kit: Manufactured by Snap-On specifically for the American cruiser brand to offer the most utility in the smallest possible package, the H-D Snap-On Tool Kit is a super-premium SAE-sized kit that includes more than 20 items in total, allowing for a pretty enormous range of basic maintenance and roadside repairs. Protected by a full lifetime warranty, this kit comes sold in a roll-up pouch so it can easily be tacked onto handlebars or tucked under a seat or in a pannier. In typical Snap-On fashion, this 20-piece kit comes at a steep price, though the reality is that you get what you pay for here, as this SAE-sized set is legitimately made to offer a lifetime of use. 

Craftsman 450-Piece Mechanic’s Tool Set

Best Full Kit: We’d argue that dollar-for-dollar, this Craftsman tool kit offers the best bang for your buck of any mechanics toolset on the market, period. The 450-piece system is contained in a hard case with multiple drawers and includes more than 190 sockets in all the most commonly-used metric and SAE sizes, plus features 16 combination wrenches, a few extension bars, Allen keys, and a variety of other mechanic tool staples. Because of its size, this 450-piece mechanic’s set isn’t exactly ideal for two-wheeled travel. With that said, a handful of essentials can be taken out of this kit and loaded into a tool roll — such as one of the stellar models seen above — in order to make an ideal set for roadside wrenching. 

Snap-On 33 Pc Motorcycle Tool Set

Best Overall Kit: Snap-On has long been considered the Rolls-Royce of the tool industry, so unsurprisingly this 33-piece kit from the renowned manufacturer comes highly recommended on our list. Made in America and backed by the brand’s usual lifetime warranty, the kit is designed to allow for a wide range of jobs using minimal tools. The overall quality and construction of these tools are pretty much second to none — as one would expect from Snap-On. Like the above Snap-On item, this 33-piece set does carry a fairly exorbitant MSRP, though you really do get what you pay for — as countless mechanics can attest to. 

Black Widow Professional Motorcycle Shop Kit

Best Upgrade Kit: Shipped directly to the customer’s door on a shrink-wrapped pallet, the Black Widow Professional Motorcycle Shop Kit doesn’t include any traditional metric or SAE hand tools, however, if you’ve already got a decent set of ratchets, wrenches, Allens, and drivers, this professional-grade kit is an absolute game-changer, opening up the door to a plethora of different jobs that require speciality equipment, and making regular wrenching jobs markedly easier. This is thanks to the kit’s included wheel balancer and truing stand, tire bead breaker, and aluminum moto dolly. The kit’s biggest selling point, however, is undoubtedly its ProLift Heavy-Duty air-hydraulic motorcycle lift table that features a 1,500-lb weight capacity along with the ability to raise bikes anywhere from 7″ to up to 32” off the ground. Rounding out this kit is also a rolling shop seat and a robust tie-down strap kit with two 2″ cam straps, a pair of 2″ ratchet straps, and four 1″ soft loops.

The Essential Tools Every DIY Mechanic Should Own

Just getting into wrenching? Then chances are you’re going to need to stock up on some of the must-have essentials and peripherals for DIY motoring maintenance — some of the latest and greatest of which you can find in our guide to the best essential tools every DIY mechanic should own for a curated list of crucial kit.